When you are majoring in the liberal arts, doing ‘intellectual’ subjects like art, languages, history, philosophy and literature, you are often referred to as ‘head-in-the-clouds’ and told that your purposeless education will lead you to destitution.

The predominant mantra is, ‘be practical: get good grades and a useful degree that leads to a well paid desk job’. If you seek to go for the brand of success marketed to you by a majority, a liberal arts education is not the way to go. Let’s talk about the roots and results of the PPM (Pakistan Practicality Mania).

The PPM is an epidemic that has afflicted two generations. Most students say that they were encouraged to pursue the same few subjects in college i.e.

accounting, pre-medical and pre-engineering. The pressure is applied by society as a whole.

“When I was good at math,” says Maha Siddiqui, studying accounting, “I was applauded more than when I made a good sketch, and hence math weighed more than art.” All agreed that little energy has been focused on academic advising, career counselling and inspiring the students.

Parental pressure seems to be a key ingredient in fuelling the fire. “I was given a free hand in choosing a major, but among my colleagues parental pressure is blatantly obvious,” says Saad Zubair, majoring in humanities.

“Business, medical or engineering fields are all this generation’s parents have known and feel comfortable pushing their kids into,” says Fahad Sajid, studying political science. Financial circumstances play a role here. A student studying abroad says, “My parents don’t pay for my education which means I do not have the unsaid contract of listening to them, which is amazing.”

Says Ali Khalid Rana, studying economics, “My major choice was a mixture of academic limitations and parental and peer pressure. I couldn’t and didn’t want to do accounting. My parents refused to let me do social sciences. At the moment I feel I’m not getting much out of my major.” Many similarly feel that they have sometimes sacrificed their interests at the altar of ‘practicality’. Yet they think that following one’s dream is important.

Many polled students testify to the importance of studying liberal arts for personal development and to promote a more aware, tolerant and cognisant society.

“Philosophical inquiry helps us dial down the polemics and makes critical thinking possible,” says Sajid. At a very real level, this PPM is translating into a crusade against critical thinking, as recent events in the country have highlighted. We would be highly irresponsible if we ignored the harmful trends.

Some, however, do feel that the liberal arts are overrated. “If I’m interested in economics, I shouldn’t have to do literature at college,” says Maliha Tariq. This applies even more to those doing professional degrees. Expanding one’s mind is also possible outside the classroom. Those genuinely interested do have the option of taking side courses in their fields of interest. The question is how many are left with the time, energy, motivation and money to do this?

‘Practical’ is something that will get you a job after graduating. However, many believe the concept of the term needs to evolve. Being able to support yourself is important, but with many people moving beyond traditional careers into media, journalism, education, academia, fashion, etc., there is a scope for change. “I don’t think there is an impractical major anymore, it is a very obsolete concept,” says a student studying Middle Eastern Studies in the US.

Any good education readies you for the outside world in many ways; becoming a better speaker, a more interesting person, and finding a passion are important values not necessarily tied to a ‘practical’ degree. Add to this the fact that most training for corporate careers is on-the-job, and you can reassess being impractical at the college level.

It is not just four years of college that students need to think about, but finding something to keep them happy later in life. Is having wads of cash more important than being satisfied and inspired with your job? The key is to find something that is both interesting and can help you pay the bills, and this is where proper career counselling comes in. Youngsters must find a way to strike a balance, or we will be breeding a generation of uninterested and unmotivated individuals.